Character Commentary:
Ah, what a sight! It is so sophisticated, yet clear. Thanks to Charles Smith, I can see my city in a clear overview. The streets of London have never looked so simple to navigate through. I remember back in the day when Laura and I used to roam around trying to avoid running into the goblins of the goblin market, or at least I was. It was so hard to see where we were going since the market would be by the brookside rushes amid small wooded areas filled with valleys and meadows of such a creepy and dark atmosphere. Now that I have moved to London with my husband, it has taken a while for me to get used to the industrialized city filled with buildings and factories. I always love to take a nice stroll on one of London’s rare sunny days to get fresh air and shop once in a while. I remember there was this one bookstore I went to with Andrew, my husband. Of course, with my love for reading, I was instantly attracted to the books and wanted to go back again. Andrew having so much work, he never has the time to take me out. That’s why I will use this map to safely get me to the other side of the Thames river and into the streets of the bookstore. Although I don't see many other women roaming around by themselves as much, I honestly cannot wait to use this map on my trip! Ever since the moment I got it, I have just been staring at the different street names. Now, I can put my map skills to use and go by myself on to the adventure to find the bookstore!
Editor Commentary:
The map above may seem like any ordinary artifact of the 1860s. However, it was very important and well–used. During the late 1800s, London’s population was reaching almost five million with the increase in jobs, factories, and buildings. Being in the midst of the Victorian era, the Industrial Revolution was also occurring and London happened to be the international hub of innovations and opportunities. As a result, many people flocked to the city in hopes of starting a prosperous life. However once arriving, it seemed as if it was difficult to make one’s way through the city because of all the confusing street names, new infrastructure, and exponential population growth. That is why Charles Smith made this map to put an end to all the confusion. His map business grew especially during this time because of the explicit view the map provided of the city. With color-coded sections of the city and a clear view of streets along the Thames river pointing in all directions, this map was a necessity to anyone living in London. No wonder Lizzie used this as one of her precious items as one would be roaming the streets clueless without it. Although the Victorian Era’s Industrial Revolution was full of great times, crime did not cease to occur. A lot of confusing street names would end up leading to dark alleys that were unsafe, especially for vulnerable women. The clarified street names and directions on the new map also had the goal of helping with women’s safety. As Lizzie mentions above, using the map to get over to the other side of the Thames river by herself is something that the Victorian era’s society would not expect as they could not see women as being independent. The creation of this map helped gain confidence in women to go venture on their own and be more independent instead of listening to the era’s gender discrimination and stereotypes.
Citation:
Smith, C. (1860). Smith's New Map of London [Map]. In World Digital Library. London, England: C Smith & Son.